Eventually, the fate of the game will rest on his foot.
Terrapin kicker Obi Egekeze may play off the fact that he has yet to be called upon to make a game-changing field goal in a pressure situation, but it’s coming. The ACC schedule is in full swing and both of the Terps’ conference games thus far were decided by one score. Last season, four of the Terps’ eight ACC games were won or lost by a field goal or less.
It’s coming.
Before this season, Egekeze, now a junior, had never attempted a field goal as a Terp, as he handled kickoff duties last year. He’s hit five of his nine attempted field goals so far this year but has only tried three kicks longer than 40 yards. He made a 42-yarder in the season opener but has missed attempts of 52 and 51 yards since.
Even with his limited workload, Egekeze’s confidence couldn’t be higher.
“I’m very confident in my ability,” Egekeze said after practice Tuesday. “That’s the way we practice, and we do those long ones. Wherever on the field they need me to make a field goal, however long back, I can make it.”
I’ve seen Egekeze make 60-yard bombs to warm up before games, and Terp coach Ralph Friedgen has repeatedly said how sure he is of his kicker’s capability. But I’m not completely sold. I need to see Egekeze prove himself, and I’m sure he’ll get his shot in the next few weeks.
I’ve never attempted a field goal in my life, but I was tempted to think a bye week would take a kicker completely out of rhythm, even with practices and drills. Egekeze, who has a bit more experience than I do, disagreed.
“You get a chance to get your legs back under you,” he said. “You’re re-energized and ready to go for the rest of the season.”
Egekeze said he enjoyed the off week by sitting back and watching all of the other goings-on in college football, much like I do every week. He said he tuned in to see mostly Big 12 and other ACC games, which seems like a good idea. He might learn something from his conference counterparts, as his 55.6 field goal percentage doesn’t even rank in the top 10 in the ACC.
Egekeze isn’t dealing with a lack of talent by any means – he just hasn’t proven it on the field yet. His 20-for-20 mark on extra points is a good start, but it’s going to take that one, long-ish, important, game-changing field goal that he puts right down the middle to answer the vital question.
“Every kick could be the difference in a game,” Egekeze said. “Somebody said that an extra point could be the difference in the game. Every kick is the same and is important. Any kick could be, in the end, a game-winner.”
True, but the pressure just isn’t the same. A 55-yarder in the first quarter is easier than a 45-yarder in the final minute. Again, I’ve never tried it, but I’ve watched enough football to know that.
So now that the bye has come and gone, the Terps are 1-1 in the ACC, with conference opponents on the schedule for each game in each of the final six weeks. It’s time to see whether Egekeze is up for the big one, because it’s coming.
Regardless of whether he slams the ball between the uprights or into the ground, though, I have to admire his unwavering confidence in his team. When I asked him who he likes in the ACC after watching last Saturday’s games, guess who he picked?
“I like the Maryland Terrapins. We’re going to win it all.”
That may depend on your leg, Obi.
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